If you’re dialed into the indie scene, then you’ve very likely heard of buzzworthy up and coming songstress Julien Baker, whose sprawling, sad full-length debut, Sprained Ankle, was ranked among 2015’s best releases (and for good reason; it’s incredible). What you might not know, however, is that Baker is local, or at least local-ish. Raised in Memphis, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter relocated to Murfreesboro to attend MTSU a couple years back (we’re assuming school’s on hold for a bit, given her tour schedule), and cut her teeth in the Nashville scene fronting the group Forrister (formerly The Star Killers), who we frequently wrote about in recent years when they often served as support for under the radar emo, indie, and pop punk shows.
Since stepping out on her own, Julien has been met with widespread critical acclaim, and recorded her solo LP at Matthew E. White’s Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, VA, the same place follow former MTSU student and long-time Nashvillian Natalie Prass crafted her eponymous debut. This week, Baker plays her biggest local headlining show to date, Wednesday, March 9 at Exit/In, along with Ryan Azada and Bandit, ahead of a trek to SXSW and a world tour. Ahead of that lengthy run, the talented songstress teamed up with NPR to perform three songs, including a new one, “Funeral Pyre,” for All Songs Considered’s popular Tiny Desk Series. Watch below for a taste of what you can expect in person this week, and grab tickets to the show for just $10 right here!
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